Architects connect past, future at Deoksu Palace

Korean architect group OBBA presents "Daehan Yeonhyang," a 21-century whimsical interpretation of a court feast, in front of Junghwajeon Hall of Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. This is part of "Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future," a collaborative outdoor exhibition by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the Deoksugung Palace Management Office. Courtesy of MMCA

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The year 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement as well as the death of King Gojong, the last king of the Joseon Kingdom and the first emperor of the short-lived Daehan Empire.

Deoksu Palace in central Seoul is where King Gojong proclaimed the founding of the Daehan Empire and offers much evidence of his efforts to modernize the city structure. Deoksu Palace has a mix of Korean traditional and Western architecture, reflecting the wave of modernization that hit Korea in the late 19th century.

In commemoration of the palace's history, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) invited five Asian architect groups to reimagine the first Korean emperor's dream for the future in "Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future."

This is not the first time for the Joseon palace to get the contemporary art treatment. In 2012 and 2017, the MMCA hosted "Deoksugung Project" with the Deoksugung Palace Management Office, adding artistic touches to the palatial buildings.

"We invited architects from overseas for this year's Deoksugung Project reflecting the palace's history going through the transition period of opening ports and adopting Western culture. So we looked for architects in Asian countries which went through similar modernization process," curator Lee Ji-hoi said.

"Gate of Bright Lights" by Space Popular

Space Popular, a Thailand-founded design company consisting of Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg, transformed Gwangmyeongmun Gate into "Gate of Bright Lights."

Gwangmyeongmun Gate was the main entrance to the Hamnyeongjeon Hall, royal sleeping chamber of King Gojong, from where his state funeral procession embarked. The gate was moved during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea as Japan converted the palace into a public park. It was restored to its original position earlier this year after eight decades.

The gate was originally connected to walls that enclosed the king's sleeping quarters, but now stands there alone. Space Popular's installation lets visitors imagine the use and surroundings of the gate, guiding them in virtual reality through a screen framed at the main entrance. The video will be updated throughout the exhibition.

"Back then, architecture of royal palaces played a role as mass media, propagating political justice of the king. In modern society, mass media is not the ruler's own to govern subjects, but shifted to mobile phone, an open platform for everyone," curator Lee said.

Lesmes said they took a wide range of references from "dancheong" (multicolored paintwork) to very current cultural references such as Kakao Friends character Ryan.

"Architecture has changed the way people think about the city and urbanism. We wanted to ring the changes with the way we think," Hellberg added.

"Furniture for an Emperor in Transition" by CL3

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Upon entering the courtyard of Hamnyeongjeon Hall, visitors will encounter a series of furniture-palanquin hybrid structures. Inspired by the king's bedchamber, William Lim of CL3, a Hong Kong-based architectural design studio, created "Furniture for an Emperor in Transition."

"King's sleeping chamber is a very private space, but the courtyard is an in-between space. We can imagine life of the royal family when the East met the West," Lim said.

Lim researched lifestyle and design from the late 19th to early 20th century and designed six types of furniture, inspired by royal furniture and sedan chairs as well as Western furniture such as Charlotte Perriand's lounge chair.

He added wheels for the furniture, giving flexibility and mobility. The furniture can be used every day with playfulness, but Lim also added storage units for practicality.

While Hamnyeongjeon is the king's private residence, the palace's main hall is Junghwajeon, where state affairs were conducted and banquets were held. Korean architect group OBBA presents "Daehan Yeonhyang," a 21-century whimsical interpretation of a court feast.

The architect duo by Lee So-jung and Kwak Sang-joon, who won the 2018 Young Artist Award in the architecture category, reenacted court banquets held in front of Junghwajeon Hall, as portrayed in court paintings. Inspired by the variable structures used during the feast, Lee and Kwak used dichroic film to cast ever-changing colorful shadows on the ground, reflecting Deoksu Palace's identity in the transitional period.

Despite the lavish festivities, Lee felt bitter as she researched the palace. "There were banquets, but the country's situation was not all rosy. The banquets seemed rather sad as Joseon's future was uncertain," Lee said. "Deoksu Palace is not solely traditional style, but Korean and Western style co-exists. We wanted to capture the dynamic aspects of the palace in this work."

"Future Archaeologist" by Bureau Spectacular

Taiwanese Canadian architect Jimenez Lai of Bureau Spectacular brought in the concept of height to the palace grounds.

Built on the grass near Junghwajeon, "Future Archaeologist" is a three-story structure that provides a vertically elevated experience at the palace.

"Archaeology is closely related to the ground. The ground is covered by dirt and forms strata and the surface rises roughly 3 millimeters a year. So if we look a few centuries into the future, archaeologists will be above where we are now and unearth us," Lai said.

The six-meter structure refers to the surface level 2,000 years in the future. As visitors climb the stairs, they fast-forward 2,000 years to experience the ground level of the future.

"It's also an exact mirror relationship to the history of Korea. Imagine what future archaeologists will discover from us," the architect said.

"Perpetual Spring" by Obra Architects

The exhibit extends to the yard of the MMCA Seoul, neighboring the main Gyeongbok Palace, where Obra Architects' "Perpetual Spring" is installed.

Obra Architects by Jennifer Lee and Pablo Castro is a public architect for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. With their expertise in public construction, Obra Architects brings up the issue of climate change and its social influence by making a greenhouse pavilion that maintains spring weather throughout the exhibition period that passes autumn and winter through spring.

The architect duo believes that spring provides the right condition social changes such as the Prague Spring and Arab Spring, emphasizing how "Perpetual Spring" maintains the ideal environment.

The exhibit runs until April 5, 2020.